"twenty-five-thousand mad comrades all together singing the final stanzas of the Internationale..."

Black Herald Magazine is out now, it's magnificent and, like D.B.Cooper, somehow a poem of mine has smuggled onboard (a poem about the supernatural qualities of radio, inspired by a talk I had with Tom McCarthy or rather drunkenly inflicted on the poor chap). Magazine is a slightly deceiving description as it's a beautifully put together book with some astonishing writing and art that just stops you in your tracks. It's publication feels like an event, in terms of quality and scope (it's bi-lingual and has it's sights, like Blast long before it, on the more visionary and European aspects of poetry). In other words it's fuckin' brilliant but don't take my word for it, check it out.

All credit due to the ever-brilliant Paul Stubbs and Blandine Longre, I've rambled on to both of them a lot about how insular and gentile Irish and English poetry is (with notable exceptions of course - Adelle Stripe, SJ Fowler, Jenni Fagan, Will Stone, James Byrne and the entire contents of the magnificent Wolf Magazine for example) and if there's anyone who can help drag poetry screaming into this vast world and into the 21st century it's them. onwards and upwards.

The Beat the Dust podcast is also out now and features a poem of mine The Nihilists which is much better delivered in the dulcet Yorkshirean tones of the mighty Melissa Mann than in my foul-mouthed Derry accent. there's an excellent new Noir edition of Beat The Dust on there featuring Cathi Unsworth, Mark SaFranko, Steve Finbow, Alan Kelly, Seamus Scanlon and others.

Some readings in the very near future to be confirmed in Edinburgh and London (and maybe Dublin), details to be confirmed but one that is definite in London first weekend of March in relation to the upcoming Ginsberg film Howl (see above). working on finishing touches to three books of mine of varying degrees of imbecility, hopefully by then their full mediocrity will be unleashed upon the world. watch the skies.